THE FLU SUCKS... LET ME TELL YOU!!!
Being someone with a very weak immune system, I am always very careful with washing my hands and keeping myself as healthy as possible..... and I still got the flu.
QUESTION: How do most of you feel about the flu shot? I've gotten it a few times, and I remember each time it caused me to get the flu... ridiculous right?? Something that is supposed to keep you from getting sick makes you sick. (Just my luck ;) ) I've heard now that the vaccine is a dead virus as opposed to a live virus in the past, which makes me feel a little better. I'm considering getting the flu shot now, but maybe it's too late since I already had the flu..? Anyways, it was six days of HELL.
So as teachers, here's my question for you... When creating your syllabus, or thinking about your teaching style, what is your position on students missing class because they are sick? I remember that a decent amount of my professors require a doctors note in order for an absence to be excused for being ill. However, this made me pretty upset, because if I am sick, but not like hurling over the toilet every five minutes uncontrollably, I don't think its necessary to go to a doctor. But nowadays some people are so dishonest documentation is needed to ensure honesty. How sad is that... a few people who lie and cheat the system cause everyone else to have to go out of their way to prove they are honest and trustworthy. Anyways, what do you think? Would you put trust into your students and believe them if / when they say they are sick and need to miss class, would you ask for a doctors note, would you count attendance as a grade, etc? What are your thoughts?
Rant time: My flu lasted six days. SIX. SIIIIIIIXXXX!! It was literal hell. By day six I seriously cried a little bit. I'm a workaholic and it was killing me to know how much school work I have to get done, and the fact that I could be chugging along and getting things done during those six days instead of dying on the couch. On the last day, I was fed up and decided to attempt to do some reading for our DQ's next week, and just looking at the screen made me feel nauseous and uneasy. I was so mad.
Day 7, and I'm finally feeling better. I put on real pants today.. so that's a win!
How do you guys deal with sickness when you know you have SO much work to do?
Hi Bailey!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you're feeling better :) To answer your question- I think the flu shot is cool, but I got it this year, and this was the only year I've gotten sick in the past like 5 years so now I'm unsure!! But, correlation doesn't equal causation I guess. As far as the doctor notes go, I know it sucks, because not everybody (uninsured people) have easy access to a doctor's office, and it may not always be necessary when you're sick to go so I feel you. The students can be absent for a certain amount of days that are not school-excused, but if they don't have a doctor's note there's usually a pretty slim chance that they will get their sick day excused then. I'm mostly torn because I know doctor access/affordability can hinder students from going, but if every absence was excused then no one would show up!
Hey Bailey! In relation to the discussion of doctor's notes and absences, I have had my fair share of absences to deal with myself. When I had to compile an abundance of doctor's notes for makeup exams, extended deadlines for an assignment, or other accommodations, I seemed to be in the clear for time. Although some instances did exist where I was not able to make the trip to the doctor's office and relied strictly on hearsay for confirmation on whether I was actually sick. I know in most of my classes, we give students up to three days in which they can miss class without any penalty, yet if they have an excused absence the absence will not count against them. I know that sometimes students feel under the weather or exhausted and simply do not feel like showing up to class, but having a somewhat flexible attendance policy can give students some agency and responsibility in how they approach the course. For the most part, I have not had an instance in which a student missed and was not able to acquire a doctor's note, but taking a student on their word is a whole different story. There have been some instances where I knew a student was not telling the truth and other instances where I knew a student was also being honest, yet determining the line in-between is always a grey area. I believe trust is an important aspect of the student-instructor relationship, yet trust can lead to an unsafe level of vulnerability and as an instructor, one can be taken advantage of. As someone who has also dealt with a litany of medical issues, obtaining medical accommodations have not always been a walk in the park. Albeit unfortunate circumstances, I am more open-minded in regards to students and illnesses for sick days.
ReplyDeleteHey Bailey! Glad you're feeling better, and by the way, pants are overrated. I definitely think a policy needs to be there for sure. Students are dishonest and will take advantage of not having to come to class. Although, I do understand not every student is insured, etc. The good thing about UNT is that they have a clinic that all students pay for in their tuition and I tell my students that if they don't feel well and need to miss class, try their best to stop by there if they cant get a doctors appointment elsewhere, that way they have documentation. I think at the end of the day, it all comes down to communication with the instructor and the student. If a student has expressed to me that they deal with a certain illness, I will be more willing to go to bat for them when they have to miss class and need it excused.
ReplyDeleteGlad you’re feeling better. #pleasedo!
ReplyDeleteMY TURN, MY TURN!!!!! OMG I’m fucking dying-aaaaahghghgh!!!! I haven’t been this sick since I was a little kid! What started out as [I thought] hay fever, turned in to temperature fever, body aches, cough, loose poops, AND I puked. No health insurance; no doctor visit. Fortunately, I was able to find a not-yet-expired bottle of Bromphen/Pseudo/Dextro HBR Syrup. Cheers to medicine hoarding. On the mend now--thanks, science!
Fassett and Warren would say we are wearing “each of [our] illnesses like a badge of honor” (p. 138). As they say, it’s not so much that these are things to be proud of, but we are working hard and sacrificing ourselves to reach our goals, and I totally feel their take on how we need to “save the crisis for the holidays”. If we hadn’t been on break for the 2018 National Day of Mourning – I mean Thanksgiving – I would have absolutely called in a “sub” or held a Google Hangout for my classes’ Advocacy in Action presentations.
For my students with chronic or prolonged illnesses, I just ask them to keep in touch with me. I heartily echo Kimmy's words, "it all comes down to communication with the instructor". I tell them to please loop me in on what’s going on, so I can work with them—I remind them every week: if I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know how to help them. I don’t ask for uncomfortable personal details, but I do ask to be informed. #fromthefrontdesk